Return of the Wolf
by Claidheamh Mohr
Summary: A young girl while visiting her grandparents farm, finds an old wooden box, inside the box is an old cloth bag, inside the bag are grains of wheat.
1. Chapter 1

Return of the Wolf

I do not own Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu.

Chapter 1

It was while exploring her grandfather's farm in rural upstate New York that Elizabeth Lawrence found the small cloth bag.

Hidden in a wooden box placed high up in the rafters of the old barn, it was nearly invisible beneath a deep layer of dust, cobwebs and bird feathers.

Having retrieved the small box, Elizabeth idly noticed that it was handmade and had the image of a wolf carved deeply into the top, beneath this image were four markings that resembled letters from long ago.

Retreating to her room, Elizabeth got out the book on ancient writing that her great uncle Thomas, the family historian had given her.

Turning the pages, she soon found the section titled "Runes and their meaning" There she saw a chart that gave the English equivalent of the Runic markings engraved beneath the wolf's image.

The cryptic markings spelled out H-O-L-O, Elizabeth looked at the markings and read aloud, "Holo."

A simple name that rolled gently off of her tongue. "Holo!" She repeated then paused, why did that name seem familiar somehow? Elizabeth shrugged and made a mental note to ask her grandfather about the name Holo.

Elizabeth fumbled with the small box in her attempts to open it. A few minutes later her nimble fingers had found the secret and the lid slid aside to reveal the aforementioned cloth bag.

Stiff with age, it initially defied her attempts at opening it. Suddenly, a thrill swept through her like a shock, she dropped the bag back into the box and was about to replace the lid when she hesitated. Something about the name Holo tugged at her memories.

Closing her eyes, she remembered a song her late great grandfather had sung while they were camping.

The campfire crackled, sending sparks into the cool night air while his warm voice sang of a great wolf spirit who lived in the wheat and watched over the lands, a spirit named Holo. He sang of her travels with a simple merchant who helped her to return to her ancient homeland.

Elizabeth's eyes opened suddenly and she looked down at the bag lying in its wooden box. The barn she had found it in was quite old, over two hundred and fifty years old.

The wooden beam beneath the box had been clean of dust, she realized that the box had lain hidden up there for all that time.

The Runic markings spelling out H-O-L-O were far older than the barn. She knew that her family was quite old, her late, great uncle had told her of her family's pagan roots in ancient Europe.

How long had this little handmade, hand carved wooden box belonged to her family, how many generations had kept it safe from harm?

Curiosity overpowering her fears at last, Elizabeth took up the small bag and gently teased the laced bindings until she could look inside.

Inside the bag were a couple of old coins, black with age and a small handful of wheat grains, hardly more than a tablespoonful at most.

The grains of wheat looked surprisingly fresh, even after all this time. A sudden urge came over her to take some of the grains and plant them in a secret place where they could grow tall and ripen in the Autumn sun.

She took out four precious grains of the ancient wheat, retied the bag and sealed it back inside its wooden box. Elizabeth hid the small box under her bed and planned on putting it back where she had found it in the morning.

After a hearty farmer's breakfast, Elizabeth slipped into the old barn and climbed high into the rafters again and placed the little box right back where she had found it.

She gathered up a large water jug and a Pulaski for digging and slipped out the back side of the barn.

Walking quickly, she soon reached the stream meandering lazily through the farm and filled the jug. From the stream, she walked through a small, wooded copse on the property and clambered over the large boulders that had defied earlier attempts to remove them and so, that corner of the farm had been left to nature.

Once past the last boulder, Elizabeth set down her heavy burden and surveyed her surroundings.

A flat spot beckoned to her, it was protected from the strong winds of fall, the snows of winter and the spring storms and faced the sun, it was a good spot for planting.

Taking up the Pulaski she quickly chopped up and turned over an area about two feet across. Using the Pulaski to form a low mound in the center, Elizabeth poked four holes in the freshly turned soil and dropped a single grain of the precious wheat into each hole. Then she patted the soil over closing the holes back up. Lugging the heavy water jug over, she carefully watered the freshly planted seeds and let the water soak in.

A few minutes later, she once again gave the planting a good soaking and emptied the jug at last. Elizabeth stepped back and admired her handiwork, she smiled to herself and said aloud, "Wouldn't it be fun if the wheat grew? 'Holo's wheat' I'll call it."

A small gust of the cool spring air toyed with her hair and clothing, causing her to giggle. Elizabeth picked up the jug and the Pulaski and turned to leave the small dell she had chosen for the wheat, she paused a moment and said, "I'll come as often as I can to see how you're doing. I don't live here, I'm only visiting for the spring break. This summer, I'll be here for the whole summer!"

Retracing her steps, Elizabeth stashed the jug near the stream and slipped back into the old barn to replace the Pulaski. She smiled when she thought about her uncle Ralph who had brought the odd looking tool home from fighting a forest fire, he'd liked it so he kept it.

The next morning, Elizabeth woke to the sounds of a light rain falling, the sort of rain farmers prayed for, one that would water the crops well without washing them away in a torrent of cold water.

After breakfast, she stepped out on to the porch and stood alongside her grandfather as he watched the rain falling in gentle sheets, with an occasional gust of wind making the water dance in the air. He pointed out at the nearest wheat field where the light gusts were making the young shoots sway and dance in the downpour and said,"A wolf is in the young wheat, can't you see her dancing in the rain?"

Elizabeth laughed and cried, "Grandpa! You say the funniest things, I don't see any wolf."

Ralph Lawrence senior, draped one massive, work hardened hand over his young granddaughter's slim shoulders and said gently, "It's a little early yet for you to see the wolf and your eyes haven't learned to see her. Hopefully, when you come back this summer, you'll see her dancing in the light of the August moon."

Elizabeth snuggled against her grandfather's tall form and said quietly, "This is what I love about coming here, it's like stepping back into the past being here."

Her grandfather chuckled and said softly, "This was why I never left, my brothers couldn't get away fast enough, my sisters didn't care. Oh, there was a fuss when my father left the farm to me because I wanted to stay and be with the land."

He squeezed her gently and said, "The city was not for me, I saw it during the war because I had to. When I handed my rifle back in and took off my uniform for the last time, I left with no interest in going back, ever."

Elizabeth said brightly, "You've come down for my birthdays!" "That's different, you're my granddaughter and besides, you come up here for your school breaks and summer vacation, don't you?" Replied her grandfather. "Though you do put in the same long days as I do, even though you're supposed to be on vacation!"

Elizabeth grinned up at her grandfather's grizzled face and retorted, "I like working in the soil, I was so proud of my pumpkin patch last year and loved eating the pies grandma made from them."

Her grandfather chuckled and replied, "We all enjoyed eating them! You have that green thumb and plants respond to you, you seem to have a gift for growing things."

Elizabeth smiled slightly and said, "I'm glad you liked them, mom won't let me keep a garden at home and dad just goes along with her to keep the peace."

"Well, she is your mother and you do have to respect her wishes even if you disagree with them. Once you've graduated from school and you're out in the world, you can do what you like, including keeping a garden!" Replied her grandfather as he tousled her long brown hair.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I do not own Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu

Returning their attention to the soft rain coming down, her grandfather remarked, "Well, rain or no rain, there's work to be done!"

They put on their rain gear and boots and headed out to do chores. The chickens needed feeding and cleaning up after, their manure was scooped up and tossed into a barrel.

The bigger livestock also needed feeding and cleaning up after, with their associated waste going into a digester for the methane gas that was burned in the house, periodically the solid waste was removed and dried for fertilizer.

Towering above the farm was a large windmill which spun lazily even in the slightest breeze and provided electricity for the farm and the surplus was sold to the grid.

Self sufficient was the Lawrence farm. Founded by the first Lawrence to come to the new world, it had been lived on and worked by the family for several hundred years.

The old barn was one of the oldest barns in New England still in use.

By early afternoon, Grandpa straightened up and declared, "I do believe I'm tired and hungry! Let's take a break."

He shouldered his shovel and turned towards the house now indistinct from the rain, Elizabeth did likewise and as she turned to leave the wheat field they had been working in, she thought she saw a naked young girl standing in the rain with her arms raised to the sky as if catching the rain.

When she looked again, there was no one there.

Approaching the house, Elizabeth glanced up at the weather vane and noticed as if for the first time, that it was a wolf running through tall wheat, hence the name "Running Wolf Farm".

Elizabeth had never really questioned the name of the farm, nor the reverence her grandfather had towards wolves and his support for wolf relocation and reestablishment efforts.

She took it for granted that her grandparents did not attend church and instead, honored the old ways.

Getting out of the rain at last, they sat under the porch and removed their muddy rain boots and rain gear. Stepping up onto the porch itself, they paused a moment whilst a flurry of rain danced by the house and her grandfather laughed.

He rustled her hair and said cheerfully, "It's going to be a good year! Holo is already playing in the rain!"

Elizabeth stopped short and asked, "Grampa? Why does the name Holo seem so familiar? I remember great grampa singing a song about someone named Holo and how she traveled with a merchant named Lawrence."

He smiled at her for a moment and said softly, "Holo is a name from long ago in our family's history, she is or was, a great wolf spirit. She watched over the lands and helped with the wheat harvest, she especially loved freshly baked bread with honey drizzled over it before baking. Lawrence was our ancestor, he met her in his journeys as a merchant. He was supposed to take her back to her homeland in the north, in time they became inseparable and when her journey ended and she had seen her homeland once more. They continued their journey together as husband and wife until he died and she returned to the wheat."

He looked out at the soft rain with a far away look in his eyes and said half to himself, "Her essence was in the wheat and so, a small cloth pouch, the very one she wore around her neck while she was with Lawrence, has been kept in a safe place ever since. Our family became wheat farmers and we resolved to honor her by respecting the old ways and always leaving some of the wheat unharvested for her to enjoy. Even after coming to the new world, we continued this tradition or rather, I have. My one brother and sisters never understood the story of our family as told to us by my own great grandfather, but I did and I took it to heart, as did your late uncle Thomas."

He paused and sighed, "Of all my own children and grandchildren, you are the only one with an affinity for the land. Grandma and I, we're getting on in years and we hope to leave this old farm to someone who will respect the old ways, we hope that you are the one, Elizabeth."

He glanced at her, his face, weathered by the sun and the years, crinkled into a grin and he said finally, "Lunch is probably ready, let's see what your grandma made us!"

Lunch was a simple bowl of barley, corn, mushroom and bacon soup with a sandwich alongside it. Washed down with hot cider it was a fitting mid-afternoon meal for the hungry pair.

As she ate, Elizabeth noticed as if seeing them for the first time, the numerous touches showing a devotion to the old ways, a carving of a wolf sitting amongst sheaves of wheat here, a row of runic letters there, suddenly these took on a significance she hadn't thought of before.

Her ancient pagan heritage was writ large all through the old house, finally she understood why her family had never attended church.

It was the ancient ties to a wolf spirit named Holo, and was the reason her great uncle had studied the family's history to keep the knowledge alive.

It was the reason she had inherited all of her late great uncle's books on the old ways and the ancient language of the strange runes carved so deeply into her family's soul.

Grampa?" she asked, "What did Holo look like?"

Finishing his bite of sandwich, her grandfather replied, "Legends say, Holo could take the form of a young woman, a girl of about fifteen with reddish brown hair, wolf's ears and a wolf's tail with a white tip. Her true form was that of a gigantic wolf, though she disliked appearing in her true form as it frightened people."

He grinned at her and remarked teasingly, "You certainly are interested in our ancient family history all of a sudden. Is there something I need to know about?"

Elizabeth grinned at her grandfather and replied, "No Grampa, I was just curious. I'd never really noticed before all of the little carvings and runic writing all over the house and farm. The farm's name is odd too, "Running Wolf Farm". Your saying "Holo's in the wheat" Our never going to church, things like that. Now I know the reason for them."

Her grandfather glanced at the old clock on the wall and said to her, "One last thing, then it's back to work. We came here around 1600, it was our earliest opportunity to get away from the church in Europe, they hunted and persecuted those of us who still lived in the old ways. We took what we could and pretended to be pilgrims seeking a new world. To safeguard Holo's wheat, we divided it into three portions and each of the sons took a portion for safekeeping. Sadly, one of the sons perished when his ship sank in a storm and all were lost. The second son made it here and established the farm, his portion of the wheat was consumed in a fire that burned down the original house. The third and last son arrived and his portion of the wheat was divided once more, some of it was planted to start the wheat crops and the last of it went into the very same bag that Holo had worn around her neck. It has survived to this day, thankfully."

They rose from the kitchen table and piled the dishes in the sink, exiting the house they pulled on their rain gear once more and walked to the huge old barn to check on the feed supplies for the livestock.

Once inside, Elizabeth watched while her grandfather counted the various bags and bales then made notes on a clipboard.

Getting slightly bored, Elizabeth glanced around and to her horror, realized that she had not put the ladder back where she had found it, it still leaned against the pillar that she had climbed to find the hidden box.

Silently praying he wouldn't notice it, Elizabeth fidgeted, she fidgetted so much that her grandfather glanced up at her and asked, "Are you okay sweetheart?" She smiled at him and replied nervously, "I... I'm fine grampa, I...I think I need to go, to the bathroom..." He grinned at her and said cheerfully, "Go ahead, I'm just counting bags here."

Elizabeth hurried off, but just before she left the gloomy old barn, she heard her grandfather exclaim, "Now, who left this here?" She turned and saw that he was looking right at the ladder she had left leaning against the huge pillar.

Her heart fell into her feet and she fled to the house, stripped off the rain gear and locked herself in the bathroom next to the kitchen.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she silently yelled at herself, he would ask her if she had moved the ladder.

She couldn't blame it on any of the farmhands that worked for him during the week, it being a Saturday.

She couldn't hope he would think that he was getting forgetful, he was way too sharp for that to happen.

All she could do was hope he wouldn't ask her about the ladder.

When she could no longer justify hiding in the bathroom, she came back out just in time for her grandmother to ask, "Liz? I'm going to the store, would you like to come along? I'm sure you'd like to get into town for a little while."

Elizabeth felt a surge of hope wash over her and she blurted out, " Great! Just let me get my wallet!" as she dashed upstairs and into her room to fetch her wallet. She would deal with her grandfather later.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I do not own Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu

The drive into town was mostly uneventful in that her grandmother didn't have to engage the four wheel drive on her old Nissan even once. "The roads are getting better each year!" She said cheerfully as the Nissan made its way over the rain washed rolling hills of rural upstate New York. Elizabeth smiled at her grandmother as she hung on to the passenger strap, she remembered her first time visiting her grandparents and the huge truck her grandfather had picked her up in.

It was an old army truck that had been converted into a beastly farm truck that had huge tires and could drive over anything.

Her mother had blanched at the sight of it and almost forbade her from climbing into it until her father had intervened and simply picked her up and plopped her into the seat and belted her in. Elizabeth had loved every minute of that memorable ride to the farm.

Now the road, if it could be called as such, was almost boring. It did make getting the crops to market much easier though.

They pulled up in front of the store, it was one of those old time general stores that seemed to carry a little of everything and stubbornly refused to go out of business in spite of the best efforts of Megamart.

Entering the store was like a trip back into time, Elizabeth paused at the doorway then took a deep breath and smiled at the aromas.

She browsed around in the store while her grandmother presented a shopping list to the smiling granddaughter of the store's owner.

Emily Hawkins had gone off to college and came back with a business degree and the connections and internet savvy to pull the old store out of the red and back into prosperity once again.

Coming back from her scouting trip through the store, Elizabeth plunked down a box of handmade fudge and smiled at Emily, Emily grinned at her and said, "You really like my gramma's fudge don't you?"

Elizabeth grinned back and replied, "Of course! I can't get fudge like this back home, so I have to wait until I come back here to buy some!"

Her grandmother smiled as she whisked the fudge into her own pile and declared firmly, "Not until after you've had your supper, young lady!" "Aww!" groaned Elizabeth as Emily laughed and handed Elizabeth the receipt for her purchase.

Elizabeth noticed the brand name on the bag of flour her grandmother was buying, "Running Wolf wheat flour" and asked, "Running Wolf, isn't that the name of our farm?" "It sure is sweetie." replied her grandmother.

Puzzled, Elizabeth asked, "Do we make flour too?" "No honey, we are in a partnership with a local miller, they grind it into flour and package it for sale."

Emily grinned at Elizabeth and said "Your grandfather grows some of the best wheat ever. Ground into flour and baked into bread, it just has this flavor that is sooo good. People who are really serious about baking, will pay very good money to get some of this flour and we just can't keep it in stock!"

Emily chuckled and said cheerfully, "Your grandfather also grows some of the best fruits and vegetables around!" impressed, Elizabeth thanked Emily and they carried their purchases out to the old Nissan.

The rain had stopped and the sun was peeking through the late afternoon clouds as they drove back to the farm.

Everything looked so fresh and clean, the greens and blues of the hills really stood out in the early evening light. Her grandmother took a deep breath, then declared, "I have always loved these old hills after a rain and all of nature has been washed clean. Your grandfather brought me here from the city to meet his parents, it had just finished raining like this and by the time we got to the house. I was more in love with this land than I was with him! We got married shortly after he brought me here and I insisted on having the wedding here!"

She chuckled and laid her hand on Elizabeth's hand, squeezed it a moment and said, "Of all our grandchildren, you seem to be the only one with the gift for growing things. Your grandfather marks off the days until you can come up so he can watch you plant and grow things, you really have a gift for working in the soil."

Elizabeth smiled at her grandmother and replied happily, "That's funny, I mark off my calendar too. Back home, my mom is always trying to 'civilize' me as she puts it, my dad kind of looks the other way when we go to the nursery and I look at the seeds for sale. I wish mom would be more understanding, I'm just not interested in being like her or my sisters. I just want to be me."

Lapsing into a comfortable silence, the two rode in the old Nissan over the winding road.

Nearing the farm, they drove past the woodsy copse that was left in the wild.

Elizabeth started a bit when she thought she saw a naked young girl looking out of the woods at her, but when she focused her gaze on the spot where she'd thought she saw someone, there was no one there.

Elizabeth silently resolved to look the area over in the morning. Back at the house, they unloaded the items they had bought while her grandfather closed up the old barn for the night.

Dinner; or supper, as her grandmother called it, was as usual, good, solid farm food. A tamale pie was the main dish and freshly picked snap peas and baby onions made up the vegetable side dish. Dessert was fresh apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Her grandfather had a cup of coffee with a dollop of brandy in it "To warm these old bones!" as he put it, while grandma sipped some hot cocoa.

Elizabeth helped clear the big table and scrubbed the pots while her grandparents washed the dinnerware and plates, he sang softly to himself while he dried the plates until Elizabeth asked, "Grampa?" "Yes sweetheart?" "Where did that song come from? The one you're singing I mean?" He chuckled softly and replied, "You sure are a bundle of questions today! My own grandfather taught me that song and he learned it from his grandfather before him. I don't know how old it is, so don't ask!"

"Okay, I won't!" retorted Elizabeth with her own grin. "It's just that I've heard it before from your father, he sang it at camp one evening."

He chuckled and replied, "My dad always was a good singer. Sadly, I didn't inherit his voice, just his rugged good looks!"

Elizabeth heard her grandmother chuckle and she remarked, "Now, where did I leave my waders?" Elizabeth laughed as her grandparents embraced in a lingering hug, obviously, they were still in love after all these years.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I do not own Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu

After cleaning up and making sure the big cast iron stove was off, they settled in for the evening. Elizabeth read while her grandparents watched a bit of TV until he started dozing off on the couch, then he straightened up and lumbered off to bed and a well earned night's sleep.

The two women continued reading quietly until her grandmother stifled a huge yawn and she too, went off to bed.

Elizabeth climbed the stairs and went to her room where she nearly got the biggest shock of her young life.

Sitting on her bed as if she owned the place, was a young girl, a very beautiful, very naked young girl, one with reddish brown hair, a great pair of wolf's ears and a luxurious reddish brown tail with a white tip that she was grooming.

Elizabeth gawked and was about to scream when the young girl spoke; she asked, "Are you the one who planted my wheat? Out in the woods?"

Quickly recovering her scattered wits, Elizabeth asked in a low voice, "Are you Holo? Are you the wolf in the wheat? Are you my ancient ancestor?"

The wolf girl smiled and hopped off the bed, she stood facing Elizabeth, utterly confident and utterly unconcerned about her nudity and replied, "And what if I am all of these things you think I am?"

Elizabeth stammered, "W...Well..It would be very cool!"

The girl stood looking around before replying, Elizabeth got a good look at her, she stood about her own height and was about her own physical development in size and looked like she could use a bath or was it that her skin was tanned?

The girl looked at her and grinned, Elizabeth caught a glimpse of sharp fangs as she replied, "Yes, I am all of those things. Have you any wine? For I am thirsty!"

Elizabeth spluttered and exclaimed in a strangled voice, "Wine? I don't have any wine, I'm only 14, I wouldn't have any wine up here in my room!"

Holo frowned slightly and asked again, "Is there no wine in this house?"

"Of course there is, my grandmother likes a little glass now and again. I can't just go get some, not at this hour, my grandparents have gone to bed. It will have to wait until morning!" Replied Elizabeth firmly.

Holo sat down in a huff and crossed her arms over her small bosom for a few moments, then she began grooming her luxurious tail.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Elizabeth handed her a good hair brush and said quietly, "Here, this ought to be better, it always get my tangles out."

Wordlessly, Holo took the brush and began working on her tail with determination.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth said quietly, "Look, assuming you really are Holo, how did you get up here in my room?"

The girl paused in her brushing her tail and looked at Eliabeth with her red tinged, amber eyes.

Her beautiful mouth curved into a smile and she replied, "You invited me when you planted some of my wheat, the wheat I wore around my neck so long ago. That wheat was put in that little bag by the man I fell in love with, in spite of my better judgment!"

Elizabeth frowned and muttered half to herself, "How'm I gonna explain this? Grandpa will be so pissed off that I touched that bag. What'm I gonna do?" she was worried now, explaining Holo was going to be a real test of her abilities.

Elizabeth was not one to make up stories on the fly which was why she had fretted so when her grandpa had noticed the big ladder she had left propped up against the pillar in the old barn.

A soft chuckling brought her back to the present, and she realized that Holo was enjoying her discomfiture immensely.

"This isn't funny!" griped Elizabeth, "My grandparents are gonna see you sooner or later and I have no idea what I'm going to say to explain you!"

Holo, having finished with her tail, was now brushing out her silky soft hair. Elizabeth briefly paused in her musings to marvel at how Holo's wolf ears would move according to her wishes and watching them move to and fro while she brushed her hair was slightly amazing.

Holo interrupted her labors for a moment and replied. "You fret too much, O' fruit of my loins. 'Twill all work out. Whilst I have slept all these long centuries. I have been aware of the changes in my family's fortunes. I know that we live in a new land. One where the church lacks the power it once had, one where those who acknowledge the old ways can live in peace."

Holo smiled at her distant descendant and said pleasantly, "'Tis a safe haven for me and my kin, your grandfather, has always respected the old ways and has farmed with my guidance. His father before him used to sing to me while my wheat grew tall in the fields and I would reward him with good harvests. I have watched you growing up with soil under your nails and sweat on your brow from tending your garden patch. You will be a good steward of the soil!"

Stepping over to her dresser, Elizabeth began pulling out the drawers and rummaging through them in search of something.

"What is it you are seeking?" asked Holo, "Clothing, starting with a bra and panties for you." Muttered Elizabeth.

"Bra and panties? What are those?"

Pulling out a bit of knit fabric and picking up another, more elaborate bit of fabric, Elizabeth turned around and held out the dainty underthings she had been seeking, "These, are what I am seeking!" Holo looked a bit like a cornered animal as her distant descendant advanced on her with said dainty underthings in her hands and a gleam in her eye, an uncomfortable gleam.

Even though Holo bared her sizable teeth and growled menacingly, Elizabeth wrestled the aforementioned delicate underthings onto Holo's squirming body, then stepped back to survey her handiwork.

Holo was now sitting up in the bed glaring at her, her eyes glinting red in her indignation at being handled in so familiar a manner.

"Only my husband was ever allowed to lay such familiar hands on me!" growled Holo, "And I can't have you walking around here all naked!" snapped Elizabeth, "You stay with me, you will wear clothing!"

Holo began tugging and pulling at the bra forced onto her, "'Tis an abomination! I cannot abide this thing, it binds me!" She cried.

"Women wear these things nowadays, get used to it!" Cried Elizabeth.

The door to her bedroom suddenly flew open and the doorway was filled with her grandfather's massive frame, his craggy face wearing a look of concern, "What is going on in here Lizzy?" he cried, then he froze when he saw Holo's slight form wearing nothing more than a bra and panties. His eyes fixed on her wolf ears and luxurious, white tipped tail.

Time stopped, no one moved or said a word.

He blinked a couple of times, then looked at Elizabeth and quietly asked her, "You found Holo's bag of wheat didn't you?"

He sighed heavily, seemingly shrinking slightly and said softly, "That little box hasn't been touched in almost two hundred and fifty years, it hasn't been opened in several hundred more years. We always knew it was up there in the old barn, hidden away for safe keeping. Now I know why that ladder was there and why you were so nervous."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I do not won Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu

He stepped over to her chair and sat down heavily, "It's my fault really, I should have told you about the box and how it is not to be touched." he said wearily.

He glanced over at Holo and smiled, "I never thought I would actually be seeing you in the flesh Holo. I would imagine that I could see you dancing in the rain as it watered the fields or running through the wheat as it ripened in the August sun, but never sitting in my granddaughter's bedroom!"

He bowed his old head to her and said gratefully, "Thank you for the bounty we have long enjoyed and the prosperity that came from it."

Elizabeth began crying as she stammered out an apology, "I..I'm.. S..Sorry Grampa! I don't even know why I did it, it just seemed like it would be fun to plant some of that old wheat. I didn't mean any harm!"

He held out his big arms and Elizabeth snuggled into them, her head pressed against his broad chest.

He said gently, "What's done is done Lizzy, however, you will be responsible for Holo's wheat, that means you will tend to her wheat 'til it is ripe and when that happens, you will replace what you took out of that bag. As for Holo herself, she is your responsibility now and you are likely to become her lifelong companion."

Holo stood bristling at his comments, her ears folded back and her eyes glinting red, "I am Holo the Wise Wolf! I am not a child to be watched over!"

Elizabeth's grandfather smiled at her and replied, "No one here thinks of you as a child, Great Mother, it is just that times have changed tremendously since last you walked among us. Some changes have been good, others, well, the good of them remains to be seen."

"What sort of changes?" Asked Holo with a skeptical look on her pretty face.

"The Church no longer has the power to pursue heretics and women now have more say in how they live their lives. Though there is room for improvements, that part is good." He replied.

"And the bad?"

"We still have religious intolerance and it probably would be for the best if you didn't walk about openly as "Holo the Wise Wolf". He emphasized that part with air quotes.

Holo harrumphed and said curtly, "I have never walked among men openly, very few have ever seen me in my true form. In fact, the last man to see me in my true form was your great-many-times-over grandfather."

Elizabeth "ahemmed" to get their attention, then she asked, "What do you mean by "True Form"? What is your true form?"

Holo smiled at her and replied, "My true form is that of a giant wolf."

Elizabeth looked skeptical, then she said, "How big a wolf are we talking about? I doubt if you weigh as much as I do, how big of a wolf would you make? Assuming you can actually transform!"

Her grandfather looked pained at her remarks and was about to reply when Holo spoke up, "I see you have your doubts. Is this one of the changes you mentioned earlier?" She glanced at her great-many-times-over grandson for his reply.

He sighed and said quietly, "Yes it is, Great Mother, people of today no longer believe in the old spirits."

Holo shrugged and remarked, "That is a good thing, is it not? If I am seen they won't think I am real and the church will not come after me, am I right?"

Elizabeth interjected, "What does it take for you to assume your true form?"

Holo grinned and replied, "Oh, a bit of wheat or..." her eyes briefly glinted red, "Some blood."

"How much blood?"

Elizabeth's grandfather paled and he cried, "Are you crazy? I can't allow this!"

Holo laughed playfully and replied, "I only need a handful of wheat, though my husband did give me some of his blood once. I only needed to bite his arm to get the blood I needed, it was only a small bite..."

Elizabeth didn't even bat a lash at Holo's remarks and she held out her left arm as an offering.

An unspoken challenge.

"Lizzy!" Cried her grandfather.

Holo imperiously held up her slim hand for silence, then she said, "If you truly wish to see my true form, I will grant your request. However, it must be done outside and you must not show fear, these are my conditions."

"Agreed!" replied Elizabeth and she pulled on her shoes.

Once outside the old farmhouse, Holo took off the underthings Elizabeth had forced on her and glanced around. It was the dark of the moon, a good night for a run.

Glancing back at her grandfather, Elizabeth handed Holo a sheaf of freshly cut winter wheat, Holo took the wheat and began chewing.

Moments later, her form began to change and shift and grow, tremendously. They staggered back as the small girl fell forward onto her hands and knees and she grew into a wolf in form, but of a size to stagger the imagination.

Elizabeth forced herself to not look away or show fear while her grandfather's great hands squeezed her slim shoulders almost painfully.

When it was done, Holo's great shaggy head looked at them, a glint of amusement in her great, reddish eyes. Standing before them was a creature resembling a wolf but rivaling one of the giant dinosaurs in size, it was Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu.

She was so big that Elizabeth's grandfather could walk under her belly without hitting his head and her shoulder was almost the height of a two story house.

Elizabeth stood silently gazing up at her gigantic ancestor, she felt her grandfather's hands squeeze her shoulders and she heard him softly weeping until he murmured, "Great Mother, how beautiful you are. To think that I would live to see you in the flesh, when before, I only saw you in my dreams as a young girl dancing in the rain."

He gently pushed Elizabeth towards Holo's gigantic form and said softly, "Go to her, go to your Great Mother for you are truly her Great Daughter and heir to this farm."

Uncertain of what to do next, Elizabeth stepped forward. Holo's great eyes glimmered at her and she lay down, Holo's mouth opened and a voice more like a growl said, "Get on."

Elizabeth climbed up onto Holo's massive shoulders, straddled them as best she could and hung on to a couple of tufts of her red-brown fur for dear life.

A throaty chuckle came from Holo's toothy mouth and she said, "I won't drop you, just enjoy. It is a good night for a run!"

Holo rose to her great clawed feet and took off in a great bound, clearing the house in a single leap. Elizabeth let out a single shriek as Holo surged forward in great leaps and bounds, within seconds they had left the farm far behind them.

Elizabeth's grandfather stood looking after them for several moments, then quietly went back inside and back to his bed. He lay down beside his wife of many years and she said softly, "Was that really Holo?" He sighed in the darkness and replied, "Yes, she truly is Holo." He heard her softly chuckle, then say, "I'll make breakfast for four then." Soon after, she fell asleep in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I do not own Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu

The darkened land rushed past and the cool air flowing around her made Elizabeth wish she had worn a heavier jacket.

Holo ran and ran, her breath coming in great pulses as her mighty lungs took in the night air, she paused only briefly to let out a long, drawn out howl that echoed throughout the hills and set lesser dogs to howling in response to Holo's great declaration of lupine pride, for was she not, a proud wolf?

They came to a road and Holo cleared it with ease, leaving it far behind, only the drumming sound of her great paws striking the ground marked their passage.

Holo ran like that for nearly an hour then she slowed to a trot and finally stopped, gazing northward.

Elizabeth gradually made out the reason why she had stopped, for there before her were gathered hundreds of wolves, all waiting to pay respects to their God.

A huge, dark furred male wolf came forward , his yellow eyes glinting. He let out a series of yelps mingled with growls and an occasional whine.

To Elizabeth's amazement she could make out what he was saying, he was asking, no demanding to know why Holo was allowing a mere human to ride on her back.

Holo's response made him step back suddenly, "She is my great daughter, descended from my human mate of so long ago."

The great wolf growled "You mated with a human? You, our God?" "He loved me and I loved him, he put his life on the line for me many times. When he asked me to be with him forever, I said yes." Replied Holo sharply, the tone in her voice, a rebuke.

The huge male prostrated himself at once and he rolled over, exposing his soft underbelly and throat to his God.

Holo stepped over him and placed her great jaws over him, establishing her dominance for all to see.

Having settled that little matter. Holo raised her head again and gazed towards the great north lands, at the edge of the great forest stood shapes, shapes clad in fur.

One larger than the rest came forward, it walked fearlessly towards her, the wolves parting before it, striding on its hind legs like a man, it walked. Elizabeth from her vantage point atop Holo's shaggy shoulders watched in growing wonder as the massive shape stopped, in the dim light, it resembled a great bear, a bear standing like a man.

It reached up and took off its head to reveal a human face, a face nearly twelve feet off the ground. For a long moment no one moved, finally the huge man, for that was what he appeared to be, spoke.

In a deep, rumbling voice he said, "Greetings, O great wolf spirit! Beyond these lands lie the lands of the great bear spirit. Do ye come in peace?"

Holo made a throaty sound that resembled a chuckle and in her softest growl she replied, "Aye, I come in peace, this world has changed too much for there to be enmity between us."

The giant man nodded and replied, "That is good to hear and it is good to see that you yet live, O Wise Wolf of Yoitsu."

Holo sighed and replied, "Aye, I live to the south of here on land farmed by my descendants. The girl sitting on my back is my great daughter for she is wise in the ways of growing things."

The huge man smiled at Elizabeth and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you..."

"Elizabeth! My name is Elizabeth and it is a pleasure to meet you too, sir bear."

He laughed and replied, "Harald Gunnarson is my name, miss Elizabeth."

Holo chuckled again and asked Harald, "Tell me O Gunnar's son. When did your people leave the lands of the north, in the old world, when did you leave Jotunheim?"

"We left when the small fierce men with the red beards and the sharp spears and long swords came and drove us across the wide sea. We followed the great bear spirit to this land of great mountains, deep forests and vast tundras."

Elizabeth suddenly cried out, "You're the Sasquatch! You inspired the legends of a giant man of the north woods, that is so cool!"

Harald chuckled and replied, "We wear the bearskins to hide ourselves from the Norsemen and their little gods, for they were our foes of old."

Elizabeth suddenly clambered down Holo's massive flank and she walked fearlessly up to Harald's great form and extended her right hand, he loomed over her at more than twice her height.

A smile spread across his bearded face and he too, extended his right hand.

Elizabeth gripped one of his great fingers and they shook hands.

Elizabeth declared, "You don't have to hide anymore, the Norsemen have been tamed and you won't be hunted, there is a young frost giant, a girl, who is now living with her foster father out in Oregon, she is going to human school and is learning about the world as it is now."

The giant paused and replied slowly, "We have heard tell of this youngling, this girl you speak of. The wisdom of her father's decision remains to be seen and we will remain cautious."

Elizabeth grinned at him and said, "Fair enough, I too, will keep this meeting to myself if you wish."

Harald smiled down at her and replied, "I do not think you will tell the tale of our meeting tonight, after all, you yourself, rode here upon the back of a great wolf spirit. Your friends would not believe you."

Elizabeth laughed, "You're right, they wouldn't!"

Holo gently nudged her with her nose and said softly, "The night wanes and we must be off." As Elizabeth climbed back onto Holo's great form, Harald smiled at them and said, "It was good to meet you and your great daughter, O Wise Wolf of Yoitsu, I will relay your goodwill to the great bear spirit."

Holo nodded her great head at him and the gathered wolves, then she turned to head south again. Soon, the drumming of her great paws against the ground lulled Elizabeth into a dreamy sort of half sleep and she rode on Holo's back with the sensation of having strong arms holding onto her as she lightly dozed. Once while in her dreamlike state, she looked back and saw a man holding her, on his face was a warm smile, a smile that was very familiar, much like her grandfather's and yet somehow, far older.

It was shortly before dawn when they returned. Holo stopped outside the farmhouse and returned to her human form.

Suddenly naked and shivering in the morning's chill she muttered, "The worst part about this form is that it suffers in the cold so."

Elizabeth opened the front door and they entered the house quietly, only to smell a hearty breakfast awaiting them and see Elizabeth's grandmother smiling at them.

She said cheerfully, as if seeing a wolf spirit was a daily occurrence, "You girls take a bath first, then come have breakfast."

Elizabeth grinned at Holo and said, "C'mon, this'll be fun!" as the two clambered up the stairs, her grandmother called out,"Don't take too long or your breakfast will get cold!"

Once in the upstairs bathroom, Elizabeth ran the water and while the tub was filling, she stripped down to the altogether.

She smiled when Holo commented, "If you had a wolf's tail and ears, you could almost pass as me!" Elizabeth stepped into the tub and was joined by Holo, the wise Wolf of Yoitsu.

Holo was by far, the grimier of the two, considering that she had run most of the night and had splashed repeatedly through mud and dirt while running.

Holo was delighted when Elizabeth insisted on shampooing and conditioning her reddish hair and tail, grimly working all of the little snarls and tangles out of it. Once it dried, her hair and tail became quite fluffy, much to Elizabeth's amusement.

Finishing up with brushing Holo's luxurious hair and tail, Elizabeth stepped back and said, "I've never brushed so much hair in my life! How do you manage it?"

Holo just grinned toothily at her and replied, "You forget that I have lain in the wheat for centuries, I have not had to bathe or brush my hair in all that time."

She glanced down at herself and quipped, "Or dressed either!"

Elizabeth went to her closet and picked out her own clothes first, then she studied Holo's slim form, "You and I are about the same size, so anything I have will fit you."

"Not necessarily!" Declared Holo as she turned slightly to one side and wagged her impressive tail, impressively.

Elizabeth frowned and muttered, "Forgot about that little detail!"

She picked up a pair of stout scissors and quickly cut an opening for Holo's tail in the back of an older pair of blue jeans.

She said, "I'll hem that later, getting you covered up is the first thing." Soon after, they trooped downstairs and were greeted by Elizabeth's grandparents and a hearty breakfast laid out on the table.

The older couple stood there smiling, then her grandmother said in earnest, "I always felt there was a bit of magic about this place, in the land and its people, the warmth I felt here was almost palpable. When your grandfather asked for my hand, he made me the happiest girl in the world. Little did I know the stories he had told me of his family's history would turn out to be true, that he really is descended from a wolf spirit of the harvest."

She reached out and enveloped Holo's slim form in her ample bosom. Holo's fluffy tail wagged happily as she hugged her back.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I do not own Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu

The two sat down and plowed through a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, corned beef hash, toast and coffee. Elizabeth looked curiously at the coffee, it was not something she ordinarily drank, so she took an exploratory sip.

She smacked her ruddy lips and and said, "This isn't so bad, I kinda like it!" So she quickly downed the rest of the coffee.

Holo meanwhile, packed away an impressive amount of food for one so small. When they were finished they eased back the chairs and stretched hugely.

Elizabeth yawned mightily and muttered, "Well, I'm off to bed!" They thanked her grandmother for the delicious food and started for the stairs.

An "Ahem!" from her grandfather stopped them and they looked at him curiously.

He held up some work gloves and he said cheerfully, "It's morning and you've got chores to do!" Elizabeth gaped and she blurted out, "But, we were up most of the night!"

"So was I." Retorted her grandfather, "I was up 'til the wee hours, worrying about you two out there in the night. I'm tired and I want to sleep too, but the chores won't get done by themselves."

Holo grinned at him and remarked, "You are my descendant, he was much the same way too!"

Elizabeth shrugged and said, "C'mon, I'll show you what to do."

Exiting the farmhouse, Holo followed Elizabeth into the old barn. She looked around curiously while Elizabeth filled a couple of metal pails with grain.

Taking one of the pails in hand, Elizabeth said, "Bring the other pail with you and we'll feed the chickens first."

Holo did as she was told and followed Elizabeth out to the poultry yard. As they approached the gate, Holo laughed at the sight of the chickens frantically scrambling to be the first one fed and she commented, "I see that chickens still have no dignity, they are quite unlike the proud eagles I once knew!"

Elizabeth grinned at Holo as she reached into her pail and with a practiced flick of her wrist, broadcast a handful of grain just behind the feathery horde.

There commenced a mad scrambling and clucking as the greedy birds dashed for the precious grain. Elizabeth quickly opened the gate and the two hopped inside the poultry yard and proceeded to scatter the grain amongst the feathery assemblage. Holo laughed and her ears and tail waggled happily.

Having emptied the pails, Elizabeth topped up their water trays and they left the poultry yard.

Pausing a moment to watch the chickens feeding, Elizabeth remarked, "We raise these for food mostly, the eggs we ate this morning were freshly laid. Grandma gathers them early in the morning for use during the day. She'll make these huge omelets for the farm hands breakfast. Right now, it's the beginning of the growing season and we can handle most of the work ourselves so it's a little quiet right now."

Holo smiled wistfully and said softly, "We struggled at first, I was pregnant with my first born and we couldn't be on the road anymore. We had some money and bought a farm."

She smiled, "We had so much to learn! He knew almost nothing and I had only watched from the wheat. A kindly neighbor helped us out a lot and I repaid him by blessing his own fields."

She grinned and said cheerfully, "Of course we didn't tell anybody, it was best that people didn't know of my true nature."

Having returned the pails to the barn, Elizabeth grabbed a hoe and a pitchfork and set them in the bed of the small truck outside the barn. While she was picking up a couple of watering cans, Holo looked at the small truck curiously and asked, "Where are the traces and harness?"

Elizabeth grinned at her distant ancestor and replied, "We don't even have a horse here!"

Holo cocked her head slightly, much like a puppy would do and Elizabeth burst out laughing as she opened the driver's side door and hopped inside. Holo did likewise and was soon seated next to Elizabeth, she watched as Elizabeth pushed in the clutch pedal and turned the ignition key, a moment later the engine was purring as it warmed up. After a minute or so, Elizabeth put it in gear and off they went, chug, chugging along.

Holo grinned and exclaimed, "This is marvelous! A wagon that goes by itself, what manner of wizardry makes it go?"

Elizabeth grinned back and replied, "You'll have to ask Grandpa, he put this truck together for me to use here on the farm. I'm only 14 and don't have a driver's license yet, but I can drive any truck and tractor here on the farm, so long as I don't go out on the highway!"

They stopped briefly to fill the watering cans and headed off to the small patch of Holo's wheat planted with the ancient seeds taken from Holo's little pouch. The truck jostled and lurched as it made its way past the boulder field and soon they stopped.

Elizabeth grinned at Holo and said, "At first, I was lugging the water here by hand, now I can use this truck instead, since you're here now."

While Holo watched, Elizabeth tended her small patch of wheat, carefully hoeing around the young stalks and clearing away any weeds to be pitched into the truck bed. She watered the patch and stood smiling at her progress, glancing up she saw that Holo was blinking back tears as she looked at the young wheat.

Holo smiled at her and said pensively, "My husband put that wheat in that little pouch so I could wear it around my neck. His hands last touched those seeds and now centuries later, they are growing, planted by my lovely great daughter."

Elizabeth reached out and took her remote ancestor into her arms. Holo's slim frame shuddered as she wept silently, she sniffled and said sadly. "I miss him so, but he gave me descendants, descendants who have done well and remembered me. For that, I am grateful!"


End file.
